How to Clean a Marlin .22 Long Rifle

How to Clean a Marlin .22 Long Rifle

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The Marlin Firearms Company has produced .22 long rifles since 1891. Among these long rifles is the Golden 39A, the oldest shoulder fire design in the world that is still being manufactored. Cleaning .22 Marlin Long Rifles is simple because the designs are simple. To break down the lever action, the removal of only one bolt is required. Disassembling the bolt action .22 long rifles is even more simple. You can complete the field maintenance of a Marlin Long Rifle in less than ten minutes.

Items you will need

  • Nickle or quarter

  • Cleaning rod

  • Cleaning patches.

  • Gun oil

Step 1

Put your hand around the stock of you lever-action Marlin and pendulum the lever forward and back three times. If no shells eject, pendulum the lever forward, look through the ejection port and check the chamber for a jammed round. If your Marlin Long Rifle is bolt action, pull the bolt the the back of the frame, look in the ejection port and check both the magazine and the chamber for rounds. Do not ever clean a loaded gun.

Step 2

Unthread the one inch bolt found on the right size of lever-action Marlin .22 Long Rifles with your coin. Once the bolt is removed, put your left hand around the fore-stock and your right hand around the aft-stock and pull the fore-stock to the left and the aft-stock to the right. This disassembles the lever action's frame. For a bolt action, remove the magazine from the bottom of the frame by depressing the magazine release lever, then pull the trigger, slide the bolt to the back of the frame, depress the bolt release lever and slide the bolt off the frame.

Step 3

Slide a cleaning patch through the eyelet on the end of the cleaning rod. Douse the patch in gun oil and slide it into the nose end of the rifle. Force the cleaning rod down the barrel until the cleaning patch appears in the chamber, then pull it back out. Check the cleaning patch. If it is covered in black gun powder residue, replace the patch and repeat this process. Repeat the process until the cleaning patch comes out of the barrel the same color it went in.

Step 4

Douse a cleaning patch with gun oil and swab the internal mechanisms of the Marlin including the ejection port, the inside of the chamber, the trigger mechanism and the lever or bolt mechanism. Remove any excess oil with a dry cleaning patch. Reassemble your rifle.

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